96 LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



Cattleya labiata, var. Mossia, in which the author detailed an elabo- 

 rate series of observations, undertaken with the object of detecting, 

 if possible, the act of fertilization of the ovules, to determine the 

 time that elapses between pollination and that event, and to trace 

 the development of the ovules into perfect seeds. After explaining 

 the structure of the sexual apparatus of Cattleya labial a, with the 

 aid of drawings, showing the separate parts, the processes following 

 pollination were then dealt with, first from the development of the 

 rudiment into the perfect ovule, and then the ripening of the 

 ovules into seeds, these processes being also illustrated by drawings 

 made of particular stages. A discussion followed, in which Mr. J. 

 G. Baker, Mr. H. N. Eidley and others took part. 



February 16th. — William Carruthers, F.B.S., President, in the 

 chair. — Announcement was made of a donation of books to the 

 Library by the widow of the late Dr. John Millar, Fellow of the 

 Society, recently deceased. — Mr. Spencer Moore exhibited and 

 made some remarks upon specimens illustrative of the Palme! la 

 state of Drapamaldia glomerata. — Mr. D. Morris exhibited a species 





of wood of Hieronyma alchornioidcs received from Trinidad, showin 

 in its fissures mineral deposits which on chemical analysis proved 

 to be calcic carbonate. For comparison Mr. Morris also exhibited 

 and made some observations upon some deposits of calcic phosphate 

 in teak. Some of these (described by Sir Fredk. Abel, Quart. 

 Journ. Chem. Soc. xv. 91) are 6 ft. in length, 6 in. in breadth, and 

 from £ in. to f in. in thickness. Deposits in bamboo known as 

 tabasheer (silicate) were shown, as also pearls (carbonate of lime) 

 from cocoa-nuts, received from Dr. Sydney J. Hickson (see c Nature/ 

 vol. xxxvi. p. 157). — Dr. Burn Murdock exhibited and offered 

 remarks upon the intramarginal (so-called) veins in the section 



Areolata of the genus Erythroxylon, of which E. Coca is the most 

 familiar species. These lines are due to a thickening of the paren- 

 chymatous tissue which takes place in the bud-stage, and are in no 

 way connected with the venation of the leaf.— Mr. G. F. Sherwood 

 exhibited a collection of photographs taken in Samoa illustrating 

 the scenery and people, together with a number of necklets formed 

 with strings of various bright-coloured seeds. — The first paper of 

 the evening was by Mr. H. N. Eidley, • On Self-Fertilisation and 

 Cleistogamy in Orchids.' Three common methods of self- fertilisation 

 were explained : (1) By the breaking up of the pollen mass, and 

 falling of the dust either directly upon the stigma or into the lips, 

 whence it comes into contact with the stigma ; (2) by the falling ol 

 the pollen masses as a whole from the clinandrum into the stigma; 

 and (3) by the pulling forward of the pollinia from the clinandrum 

 or the anther cap, the caudicle and gland remaining attached to the 

 column. An interesting discussion followed, in which Prof. Marshall 

 Ward, the Rev. ft. Henalnur n ^A m* a w Kenneth took part. 



The vacancy caused in the Botanical Chair at Edmburgh, 

 caused by the* death of the late Prof. Dickson, has been filled uy 

 the appointment of Prof. I. B. Balfour, of Oxford. 



